Violation
by ThinE
Summary: CH 5 UP! One evening, Hino comes to Fuyuumi to tell her about something she's been hiding all this time. Something about her relationship with Shimizu, and you really wouldn't wanna know about it...
1. Prologue

So, here I come to present you my 2nd fic. This time it's much more intense. It has been rated M for mature 'cos the theme isn't suited for the younger readers. You have to be able to read and comprehend this with open mind. And believe me, it happens in real life more often that you know!

This story was betaread by **Nerizu**. Thx again, gal! ;)

Now please sit back, relax n enjoy this story ;)

**Disclaimer:** La Corda d'Oro belongs to KOEI and Kure Yuki. I only own the plot, I guess =D

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**Prologue**

Fuyuumi opened the door, finding Hino standing outside, looking grim.

"Kaho-Senpai?" Fuyuumi called, worried. "Come in".

Hino entered slowly then took her shoes off.

"I'm sorry for intruding at this late hour, Fuyuumi-Chan," Hino said clutching tightly to her bag.

"It's alright, Senpai. Please, take a seat. I'll prepare you a cup of tea," Fuyuumi answered with a soft voice, indicating with her hand for Hino to enter to her living room.

Hino nodded slowly, then walked in to Fuyuumi's living room and sat on the sofa, still clutching her bag on her lap. Fuyuumi followed in, looking concerned. But then she disappeared to her kitchen to prepare the tea for her guest.

A while later, Fuyuumi appeared again in the living room, holding a tray with two cups of tea on it. After putting the cups on the table and putting the tray away, she sat on the sofa across Hino.

"Please, Senpai, have a drink," Fuyuumi said.

Hino forced a weak a smile. "Thank you, Fuyuumi-Chan," she said then reached for the cup in front of her.

Fuyuumi noticed that Hino's hand was slightly shaking as she held her cup. She looked worriedly at Hino's features. She looked pale, ready to cry, so weak and so vulnerable. _Something__'s__ so wrong_, she thought.

"Mmm... Senpai. Is there anything I can do for you? You didn't sound good when you called a while ago," Fuyuumi cautiously said.

Hino put her cup back on the table. She bowed her head, hiding her grim face under her bangs, biting her lower lip. But she didn't say anything. It was like she was fighting the urge to say or not to say something.

"Kaho-Senpai, are you OK?" Fuyuumi asked, concerned. She then moved to sit beside Hino.

"Fuyuumi-Chan...," Hino started.

"Yes?" Fuyuumi answered.

"Is it... is it OK for me to sleep over here tonight?" Hino asked, still with her head down.

Fuyuumi was surprised with the question. She was perplexed.

"Um, sure, Senpai. But... Is there something wrong?" Fuyuumi was still worried.

"I... don't wanna go home tonight," Hino answered, determined in a low voice.

Fuyuumi was getting more concerned, and she couldn't resist the urge to ask.

"Does it... have to do with Shimizu-Kun, Senpai? Did you two had... a fight?" Fuyuumi cautiously asked.

Hino and Shimizu have been dating for over two years now, starting when Shimizu just finished college. They had met again through a small reunion with all the past concourse members, held at the summer house belonging to Fuyuumi's family.

Fuyuumi had to admit that she had had a crush on Shimizu when they were still in high school, but the feelings faded as they graduated and didn't see each other anymore. And seeing him at the reunion again didn't make her feel anything. It had been a simple puppy-love. She was even glad he and Hino came together afterward, since Hino could bring out the best of him. Hino could make him more lively and living his life with more motivation. Something she would never be able to do.

And as Fuyuumi kept in touch with Hino quite often, Hino had told her a while ago that she had moved in with Shimizu, sharing an apartment now. And they seemed very happy about it.

"Kaho-Senpai?" Fuyuumi asked again, as she received no answer.

Suddenly Hino moved her head up, gazing directly into Fuyuumi's eyes. Her eyes looked swollen from crying and they were glossy. She was about to cry again.

"Fuyuumi-Chan... If I tell you, will you believe me?" Hino asked with a cracking voice.

Fuyuumi was still perplexed that she didn't know what to say. She could only nod in response.

Hino took a deep breath. Instead of saying anything, she rolled up the left sleeve of her blouse and showed Fuyuumi a bruise on her arm. Then, still without saying anything, she unbuttoned her blouse to show Fuyuumi another large fleck on her left shoulder, and another similar on the right.

"Kaho-Senpai... Those bruises...," Fuyuumi gasped with surprise. Her eyes wide open, and her index finger was pointing at the said bruises.

Hino buttoned her blouse up again and rolled down the sleeve.

After another deep breath, Hino closed her eyes and whispered with a shaky voice. "Keiichi... has been hitting me..."

Fuyuumi was taken aback upon hearing those words. She stunned, then covered her gaping mouth with her hands.

Hino opened her eyes and saw Fuyuumi's shocked expression. She laughed silently. "Can't believe it, can you?" she asked, shaking her head.

"But... but... how... Shimizu-Kun...?" Fuyuumi asked overwhelmed, mouth still covered in her hands.

Hino leaned back on the sofa. Closing her eyes, she started to narrate her story from the beginning...

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**A/N:** So, how was it? Don't tell me I didn't warn you. If you think it was quite harmless, it was only the beginning ;)

Now, I 'll be very grateful if you'll leave a review. Any comments, critics, suggestions are very appreciated =)


	2. Chapter 1: The Unknown Side

So dear readers, here comes chapter 1. Hope you enjoy it.

Like I said before, it's rated M due to the mature contents. It's not very notable yet in this chapter, but I thought I should warn you from the beginning ^^

This chapter was still betaread by **Nerizu **=)

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**Disclaimer: **La Corda d'Oro belongs to KOEI and Kure Yuki. I only own the food in this chapter, gyahahaha... =p

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**Chapter 1: The Unknown Side  
**

Hino heard the entrance door being slammed, and she almost jumped from her semi-laying down position on her bed. She was reading and almost dropped her book from the shock.

Hino wondered. She only lived in that apartment with her boyfriend, Shimizu Keiichi. And Shimizu was hardly a hot-tempered person. He was as gentle and adorable as a man could be in whatever he did. Sure he had his impatient side when he urgently wanted something. And a mysterious aura when he was quiet and didn't want to say anything. But slamming doors was nothing she knew he would do.

She was starting to be afraid, not knowing who might have caused such a ruckus. She quietly got off of her bed, tip-toeing to the closed door of the bedroom to take a peek. She opened the door slightly with caution not to make a sound, and as she positioned her eye to the small room between the door and the jamb, she saw the cause of the sound and let out a sigh of relief.

It was Shimizu after all. He was there, sitting at the entrance, quietly and slowly taking off his shoes.

Hino came out of the bedroom to greet her boyfriend.

"Welcome home, Keiichi. God, you had me scared there," Hino said as she stepped toward him.

Shimizu turned his head toward Hino from his sitting position, and gave her a tired smile.

"Sorry, I put too much energy there," he answered with that soft voice of his.

Shimizu stood up. He walked toward Hino with his bag and suit jacket in a hand, and loosening his tie with the other. As he reached to her, he gave her a quick peck on her cheek.

Hino smiled. She then took the jacket and bag from him, and followed him to their bedroom.

"What's for dinner today?" Shimizu asked as he unbuttoned the sleeves then rolled them up to his elbows.

"Chicken katsu," she answered with a smile while hanging the jacket behind the door.

"Hmmm... Sounds good," he murmured.

Hino laughed. "Go take a shower first. Dinner will be ready by the time you finish. I only need to fry it now," she said then walked out to the kitchen.

* * *

They dined in silence.

Shimizu was being overly quiet all the time, while he drove his food to his mouth, and chewed it in almost slow motion. His half-sleepy gaze to nowhere in particular seemed to show that his mind was flowing elsewhere. He looked familiarly calm, yet something about it was so out of place.

Hino didn't dare to interrupt whatever thoughts he was having. She had learned from experience that if she said or did something to gain his attention, he wouldn't hear nor see anyway. She had to wait and let him come back to reality on his own.

But something about the way Shimizu behaved the last few days had been bugging her. He would suddenly become very quiet, like in that very moment, his blue eyes were radiating something she couldn't comprehend. In other random moments, he would drop whatever he was holding. Be it in purpose or not, Hino'd never know. But after dropping those things, he would suddenly be wide awake and collect them to resume whatever he was doing with them.

And at night, when they were sleeping, Shimizu would suddenly jolt, turn brusquely to his sides and murmur some series of implausible words, from whispering tones to practically shouting. All causing Hino, who was sleeping soundly beside him, to wake each and every time in surprise.

Whenever it happened, Hino would shake his body to wake him, or at least, make him return from whatever nightmare he was having. It was effective though, since he would calm down afterward, although still deep in slumber. But when Hino asked him in the morning if he was having nightmares, he wouldn't remember anything except from waking up covered in sweat and feeling unusually tired.

Moreover, when he played his cello in the evening before going to bed, he sounded... different. Hino couldn't describe what she heard with words. And when she made a comment about it to him afterwards, he would only blink innocently, chuckle and say that she was being paranoid.

In short, Shimizu wasn't being himself.

Hino sighed. And there she was, thinking she had understood Shimizu much better after almost two years of relationship. She guessed she was mistaken. After all, Shimizu still had layers of mysteries like those that she yet had to uncover.

"Kaho," a soft voice called her, snapping her out of her reverie.

From across the table, Shimizu faced her with a small smile curved on his face. His eyes were twinkling with such positive vibe, reflecting his optimistic way of life, and his face was practically glowing with a peaceful aura. And Hino felt her heart was thumping louder, as that was the look that made her fall in love with him to begin with, and it still made her fall over and over again until that day. She slowly felt her cheeks getting warm.

"Your food will get cold if you keep daydreaming, Kaho," Shimizu said with a soft chuckle. Back was the usual Shimizu.

Hino laughed sheepishly._ How come he could still catch me off guard so easily after all__this time_, she asked herself with her heart still beating fast.

She pretended to act normally despite her warming face and continued eating, but apparently failed, as Shimizu put his bowl and chopsticks aside. He leaned his elbows on the table, intertwined his fingers, and leaned his chin on them. He was observing her with an amused look.

Hino realized this a bit later, as she was busy trying to calm her heart. She blinked. "Um, what?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Can you tell me what you're thinking about, Kaho?" he asked with that ever soft voice of his. His curious gaze on her had a glint of a mixture between persuasion and flirt.

That was something Hino just learned when they started dating. That Shimizu could be quite seductive in his own quiet manner. It had surprised her, but she found herself liking it a lot. And it made her crave for more of whatever Shimizu was willing to give her. Especially in many things related to bed.

"Nothing," she managed to say with a grin. An attempt of it, actually. And she felt like a fool for being caught off guard.

"Nothing," Shimizu repeated, smiling meaningfully.

Hino knew it was a sign that Shimizu was having _something_ in his mind, and that he will deliver it to her later. Not that she minded, though. After all, she had always blissfully enjoyed it, if not returning the favor in at least the same amount, and even more...

Hino tried to shake her little naughty thoughts away. It wasn't the time. Not yet. She shouldn't get carried away. If one of them lost control, they could simply do it then and there. But really, bodies covered in food going to waste, wasn't her idea of making out.

Shimizu laughed at the sight of Hino's face turning into different shades of red.

"Keiichi... Stop looking and laughing at me already," Hino said in a desperate tone.

"But you look so cute when you're flushed," Shimizu answered innocently. He had not moved a muscle from his watching position.

Hino pouted in response. "Keiichi, if you keep on teasing me, I won't be able to finish my dinner. And you neither."

Shimizu gave up, a smile still plastered on his face nonetheless. "Alright," he said, then grabbed his chopsticks and bowl to resume his dinner.

Hino sighed, and resumed eating too.

"How was work today?" Hino asked casually, changing the subject to calm her heart and mind.

What she witnessed after her own seemingly harmless question, was nothing she in her whole life had ever thought possible. And she wished she hadn't asked.

Upon hearing her question, Shimizu went suddenly rigid, chopsticks stopping in midair. His face clouded, his eyes turning into a darker shade of blue. His lips were literally forming a straight line, his jaws were tightening. He looked... scary. Gone was the adorable Shimizu Keiichi. Hino was so shocked as she could only watch, gaping.

But everything happened so fast, that she wasn't ready for what came after that. Shimizu suddenly stood up, eyes never leaving hers, and walked toward her in unusually fast moves.

Before Hino could think or react, she felt her cheek being slapped really hard, sending her together with her chair flying, until she felt her back crashing hard against the wall behind her...

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**(to be continued...)**

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**A/N:** What do you think? Unexpected? ^^ I couldn't believe it myself. I guess I was just inspired by a story I heard a little too often a while ago.

Anyway, will be awaiting your reviews! =)


	3. Chapter 2: Aftermath

Hi peeps. Today I finally present you with the 2nd chapter of Violation. Sorry it took a bit long. It has been quite inconvenient for me this last weeks. But anyway, it's not like I've forgotten ^^

Anyway, this time around I really have to warn you about the mature content. Some violence and a slice of lemon is involved in here. Read at your own risk, ok? Enjoy =)

Again, thanks to** Nerizu** for betareading this chapter =)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own La Corda d'Oro.

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**Chapter 2: Aftermath  
**

Hino felt her head spin. Her back ached from the collision against the wall. Her cheek red, leaving a mark in form of a hand and it felt sore and swollen. And above everything, her chest hurt from all the shock, fear and disbelief.

Did Shimizu just slap her?

Leaning on the floor with a hand, and the other hand touching her swollen cheek, she shook her head and blinked repeatedly, trying to get a hold of herself.

The moment she could see her surroundings clearly, she saw something unbelievable. Shimizu was standing before her, face dark, jaws tightened, dark-blue eyes wide awake piercing right into hers, fists clenched on his sides. He looked full of rage and hatred, like ready to kill someone.

Like ready to kill her.

Hino could only stare, eyes wide open and mind filled with only one sentence: _This is not happening._

"K-Keiichi?" Kaho mumbled in disbelief.

And then, the next impossibility happened. In the blink of an eye, Shimizu suddenly softened all his features and transformed back into his usual self: calm and angelic-looking.

It was as if he had just woken up from a bizarre stance.

Shimizu blinked once, then as if realizing what had just happened, he ran toward Kahoko with a concerned look, reaching for her fragile body.

"Kaho, I'm sorry. Are you alright?" he asked.

Hino was still shocked. Her mind couldn't digest what had just happened in those few minutes span, and her heart wasn't ready to receive such treatment from her beloved.

She couldn't say anything and just let Shimizu put her chair back upright and sit her on it. Then he knelt before her, touching her swollen cheek gently. He looked at her with eyes filled with guilt.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." he repeatedly murmured, while caressing her cheek.

"Keiichi... why...?" was the only thing Hino could muster to say in cracking voice. She looked into her beloved's eyes, searching for a possibility of answer, but couldn't find anything logical.

Shimizu pulled her into a tight embrace. He rubbed her back and hair over and over again. Hino, who was still perplexed, didn't know what to say or how to react. Her arms just hung idly on her sides.

Suddenly Hino heard muffled cries from Shimizu's direction and his body started to tremble.

"Keiichi?" Hino asked confused, eyeing the bundle of soft blond hair beside her.

"I... don't know what had gotten into me," muffled Shimizu in between cries. "I never thought I would ever hurt you like that. Kaho, I'm so sorry."

Hino could feel her heart melting at Shimizu's words. God, she loved him so much it hurt her to see him sad.

Hino reached out a hand to touch Shimizu's trembling back and whispered. "Keiichi... it's okay."

Shimizu pulled out his embrace to gaze into her eyes, tears of guilt still forming from his eyes. Hino looked back at him with affectionate eyes and a small smile curved in her face. Her swollen cheek still looked red.

Shimizu cupped her swollen cheek again, caressing it gently with his thumb, and started kissing her.

"Please forgive me Kaho. I'll never do it again. I promise," he said between kisses.

And all of the sudden Hino didn't feel the pain anymore. She could only feel her heart swelling from love toward the blonde. She kissed him back, signaling that he had been forgiven.

As the kiss deepened, both of them realized that they were hungry. Not from food, but from something else. Something more carnal. And they wanted it to be satisfied.

Soon they were hugging each other, hands traveling wherever they could reach. Hino sitting on the chair and Shimizu kneeling in front of her. Soft moans could be heard from their busy mouths.

Before she knew it, Shimizu had already undressed her, and she was lying on the carpeted floor beside the dining table, with him on top of her, naked. They moved together in a beautiful sync, pleasing each other passionately, adrenaline rushing through their sweating bodies, until reaching the highest peak together. Hino cried out Shimizu's name in pure bliss and Shimizu arched his back backwards in ecstasy.

Shimizu rolled his body to lay on his back beside Hino on the floor. Both sweaty and breathless. Hino snuggled closer, pillowing her head on Shimizu's arm, breathing in his light citrus scent and threw an arm over his bare stomach. Contentment was written all over her face.

Shimizu turned his head to face her and chuckled softly, then gave her a kiss on her forehead.

"Kaho," Shimizu called out softly.

"Hmmm," was the only lazy response from her. She had her eyes closed.

"Am I forgiven?" he asked in a low voice, his free hand tucking strands of hair that covered her face behind her ear.

Hino opened her eyes and looked up to meet his gaze. Guilt was still written on his face. She smiled at the view. He looked so irresistibly adorable, that there was no way she could say no.

"Mmm... what do you think?" she asked instead in a teasing tone, while her fingers traced circles on Shimizu's stomach.

Hino felt Shimizu's stomach tense at the touch and she giggled at his reaction.

Shimizu cupped Hino's chin, looking at her with a spark of desire in his eyes. "Naughty...," he whispered, then slowly pressed his lips to hers. She kissed him back, letting hunger build within her again.

Their dinner still laid on the table, long forgotten.

* * *

Hino woke up the next morning to the buzzing alarm on her bedside. She stretched her hand out to turn it off.

She opened her eyes slowly and blinked to find Shimizu cuddled to the curve of her neck. His warm, steady breath caressed her skin, making her shiver. Strands of blonde hair covered his innocent features. And his arm embraced her waist close to him.

Hino smiled at the sight, then tried to remember how she ended on her bed last night. She only remembered both of them making love on the carpeted floor of their dining room, but the rest seemed blurry.

As she felt her face heating up at the memory, she touched her cheek, and a sudden wave of realization hit her.

_Keiichi slapped me last night_, she remembered.

She closed her eyes to shake the thoughts away. She didn't want to remember that scene again, wishing that had been only a bad dream. But her still sore cheek proved her otherwise.

Shimizu stirred in his sleep and Hino was brought back to reality. She decided to forget the previous night's incident and start the day.

She shook Shimizu's shoulder to wake him up. He was extremely difficult to wake. That's a fact she had been aware of from the very beginning. Sleeping was practically his life, so she had to struggle each and every morning to get him back from dreamland.

"Keiichi, wake up," she called.

As she sensed no reaction from the man, she tried poking his cheek, his arms, his chest. Pinching his nose. Tickling his ribs and stomach. And finally she got a significant response from him.

"Mmmm..." he mumbled, opening his eyes lazily, then stretched his arms out to grab her petite body and pull her into an embrace.

Hino laughed in response. "You're such a sleepyhead," she said against his chest.

"I don't care," he answered in a muffled tone, with his face buried in her hair.

"But Keiichi," she said, still laughing. "As much as I love it staying in this warmth, we have to wake up, or we'll be late for work-"

No sooner had Hino finished her sentence, Shimizu's muscles suddenly stiffened, surprising Hino.

"Keiichi?" she called in surprise, raising her head. A feeling of scary déjà-vu invaded her mind.

Suddenly, out of the blue, Shimizu released her body, but immediately rolled over and pinned her underneath him. He sat on her pelvis, folding his knees on her sides, bent down stretching his arms to reach for her neck. His hands encircled the sides of her neck, his thumbs pressing down fiercely to strangle her.

Everything happened so fast, that Hino didn't see it coming. Suddenly she felt a heavy load above her and couldn't breathe, feeling cold hands tight around her neck.

She opened he eyes wide, and saw the raging look on Shimizu's face for the second time in the last twenty-four hours and it scared her to death. _This can't really be happening_, she thought desperately. _Keiichi isn't like this_.

She grabbed Shimizu's arms, trying to break free, but to no avail. Her power was nothing compared to Shimizu's enraged desire to kill.

_What have I done, Keiichi? Why do you want to kill me?_ She asked sadly to herself in desperation. She wished so bad she knew what was going on.

"Kei... ichi" she choked, while tears started to form from her eyes, and feeling her power slowly leaving her body. "Why?"

_Why?_ She repeated to herself.

* * *

_**(to be continued...)**_

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**Author's note:** Well, didn't I tell you? ;) Tell me if you liked it or not. Just leave a review, OK? Thank you for reading peeps ;)


	4. Chapter 3: Believe The Unbelievable

Hello all! Today I shall present you with this 3rd chapter of Violation. I'm sorry if I can't update this story as frequent as "Impossible Not to Love", as it requires more effort in writing. Though I'm going in a slower pace, I promise I'll get it done. So be patient and hang in there =)

This chapter was betaread by **Nerizu** as well =)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own La Corda d'Oro. KOEI and Kure Yuki do ^^

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_**Chapter 3: Believe The Unbelievable**_

"Kei... ichi," Hino tried to call his name again with all the power she still had left. Her vision was blurring, her hands on Shimizu's arms slowly losing its grip.

And suddenly, everything felt so light. There was no heavy load pressed on her body, no hands around her neck. Air was coming back.

Hino chocked and coughed. She unconsciously grabbed her own neck, making sure she had broken free.

As she slowly opened her eyes, she realized there was no one else on the bed but her. She turned her head to her side, and saw Shimizu there, sitting on the floor, hugging his knees, and his whole body was shaking.

"Keiichi?" she whispered.

No response. The man was still shaking heavily on the floor.

Hino didn't know what to think. It was all too much for her mind. She only knew something was very wrong with her boyfriend, but she still couldn't place it.

She tried to stand up, but failed miserably, as her knees gave in to the weakness. She fell on her knees, then tried to crawl closer to the trembling Shimizu.

She raised her hand and touched Shimizu's head. He jolted in surprise at the touch.

Shimizu watched her with red, teary eyes. His body had not ceased to tremble.

"I... I...," he started. He tried to mutter something, but his jaw wouldn't move properly.

Hino tried to touch him again, but Shimizu crawled farther back from her to a corner.

"Keiichi? What's wrong?" she asked, taken aback at his reaction.

"Don't come near me. Please... I don't know what I might do next," he stated in a scared tone.

Hino just starred, dumbfounded, while Shimizu continued shaking in the corner, covering his face with his hands now. They remained silent for a while, each not knowing what to do nor say.

Suddenly Shimizu stood up and broke the ice. "I'm... going to get ready," he said in a low tone. But his eyes didn't meet hers. And he walked out the room to the bathroom, walking past Hino, who was still sitting dumbfounded on the floor.

After a while, Hino decided that she needed to get ready too. She stood up slowly, her knees still felt weak. But she mustered to get out of the room slowly nonetheless.

* * *

Hino started preparing breakfast, while her mind went back to the events from just now. She couldn't understand the sudden change of attitude of her boyfriend. What was all that? One moment he was still being a sleepyhead, and all of the sudden he sat on top of her, strangling her. And the next moment he was trembling on the floor.

_It was just like last night_, Hino thought. The changes were too abrupt. Unseen of. Incomprehensible. Should be impossible. It was as if there were two personalities residing in one body and each wanted to have an important role.

_Double-personality? Personality disorder?_ Hino wild-guessed. But she shook the thoughts away immediately. _If Keiichi had twisted personality, I'd have known it sooner_, she thought. After all they've know each other since high school. And personality wasn't something that could be built and changed in a day or two. And that confused her.

_I know Yunoki-senpai is kind of bipolar. But Keiichi couldn't possible be..._, she thought.

Hino was alarmed as she felt arms wrapping her shoulders from behind. She instantly thought of the choking scene just a while ago. But she couldn't move her body out of surprise.

"I'm sorry, Kaho," she heard Shimizu whisper beside her ear. He had his cheek pressed to her head.

Hino sighed. This man was her ultimate weakness. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, that could make her mad at him. Not even now that he'd attempted to kill her. It was unbelievable and unforgivable, yes, but she wasn't angry. In fact, she felt sad for him.

Hino raised her hand and touched his. "Keiichi..." she started.

"Yes?"

"I can't say what you did just now was forgivable. But Keiichi, there was a reason why you behaved that way, right?" she murmured.

"I... don't know," he answered in a sad tone.

"If you're having problems, tell me. If I did something wrong, tell me too. That's why I'm here," she said, then patted Shimizu's hand.

"I know. Thank you, Kaho," Shimizu tightened his hug, then planted a kiss on her cheek.

Moments like those were _the_ moments Hino treasured the most. Shimizu wasn't the hopeless romantic type who'd throw corny words or shower her with flowers and gifts. Nor would he repeat the word _love_ ceaselessly. Only small gestures proved his love and affection toward her. And she liked it much better that way. A lover who was too romantic would make her sick, anyway.

* * *

"Hino... Hino...," a male voice startled her.

Hino snapped back to reality. She blushed at her carelessness, then positioned her violin back between her shoulder and chin while trying to hide her awkward face under her bangs.

"Hino, you're spacing out," said the voice again with an annoyed sigh while tapping the sheets on the stander in front of her with his bow.

Hino mustered a sheepish smile to the man beside her. "I'm sorry, Tsukimori-kun. Can we start again?"

Tsukimori took a deep breath, then positioned his own violin in place. "Alright. Let's start from the second verse again."

Among the former concourse members, Hino and Tsukimori were the only ones who pursued a musical career. Although Tsukimori studied in Austria and has been living there ever since, he was now in Japan due to a concert held by his parents, where Hino would be playing as a guest, performing a duet with him.

The other concourse members had chosen diverse majors in college upon graduating from Seisou, and were having a wide range of professions by now. Yunoki was now a psychologist, Hihara an elementary school teacher, Tsuchiura a pediatrician, Fuyuumi an interpreter and Shimizu an architect.

"Wrong. You're too loud. This is a _decrescendo_, see?" Tsukimori pointed his bow at the angle pointing rightward above the musical notes on the sheets.

"Ah, you're right. Sorry, I oversaw it" Hino laughed nervously.

By now Tsukimori was looking very annoyed. "Something's wrong with you today. You keep on making mistakes," he said in an accusing tone.

Tsukimori looked scary when he was annoyed. And that scared Hino too, to a certain point. And images of scary Shimizu flashed through her mind again.

"Don't forget that the concert is in a week. You can't keep on going like this," he continued.

"I'm sorry, Tsukimori-kun," was all she could muster to say on guilt.

"You're wasting my time," Tsukimori said coldly, eyeing her.

"By the way, have you been sleeping well?" he suddenly asked in an indifferent tone.

Hino was taken aback by the sudden randomness of his question, that she had to digest it first.

"Err... not really. Why?" Hino asked, perplexed.

"You have...," Tsukimori motioned his own eyes with his index finger, while still holding his bow, "...dark circles under your eyes."

"Oh," Hino responded, then touched her eyes.

"And what is that?" Tsukimori now pointed his bow to her red cheek, nearly touching it.

Hino shot her hand up to cover her cheek. That morning, when she was getting ready, she saw in her reflection in the mirror that her cheek was still red from the slap. She had desperately tried to cover the mark with make-up. She thought she had succeeded, though.

"Ah, this..." Hino said nervously, while searching for a possible excuse.

"Umm, it was a mosquito, I think. And I slapped myself too hard in my sleep," she continued with an awkward laugh, then cursed mentally that she had come up with such a stupid answer.

Tsukimori seemed to buy the excuse, though. Although he raised an eyebrow in wonder.

"You never change," he said with a sigh. "Let's get this piece done with already. I don't want to waste more time."

Hino nodded, then set her violin under her chin again.

* * *

Hino half-juggled between her handbag, violin case, and grocery bag from the supermarket as she fished for her keys in the bag while walking toward her apartment door.

As she introduced the key, she realized the door wasn't locked. It was still quite early, five pm. _Is Keiichi already home?_ She wondered.

She opened the door and took off her shoes.

"I'm home!" she called out. "Keiichi? Are you there?"

She walked to the living slash dining room and put the things she had in her hands on the table.

"Keiichi?" she called again, looking around for any sign of life.

There was no answer, but she could faintly hear the sound of cello playing from the study. She smiled, took her violin case with her and walked towards the sound.

"Keiichi, I'm coming in," she said, then opened the door.

What she saw inside left her mouth hanging open. Papers, music sheets, crumpled sketches were all scattered around the room. On her desk, on his drawing desk, on the sofa, on the floor. Shimizu sat in the corner, playing his cello with his eyes closed. The way he played was weird as well. As if he had been in his own world alone, not minding the mess around him.

"Keiichi, what's all this?" she asked, confused while carefully walked in. She put her violin case on her desk, then looked at the scattered papers around her.

Suddenly the sound of cello stopped. Hino shot Shimizu a questioning look, but the response from him was nothing she had expected.

Shimizu shot his eyes open. Deep blue eyes starred at her with cold gaze. His mouth was curled downward in a frown, and his face was rigid. He stood slowly up and set his cello aside.

"You're late," he accused with an unfamiliar deep, icy voice.

"Keiichi?" Hino asked, perplexed, feeling her body hairs stood. _What was with his voice?_ she thought. _It's creepy_.

"I had practice. I told you, remember? About the concert next week-"

"You're late!" Shimizu shouted with rage, then walked toward Hino's desk and grabbed her violin case.

"Keiichi, what are you doing?" Hino asked in surprise with eyes wide open.

Shimizu raised the violin case above his head, leaving Hino shocked. _No! Not my violin!_

"Keiichi, put it down! Please, not the violin!" she pleaded in panic.

"YOU ARE LATE!!!" Shimizu screamed, then swung the violin case toward Hino's body, aiming directly to her face. But Hino screamed out of panic and fear, instinctively raising her arm to cover her face, and the violin case stroke her shoulder instead.

Hard.

* * *

_**(to be continued...)**_

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**A/N:** Thank you for reading again. Now... review! Review! Review! So I know that you reader are still there x)

Btw, I wanna take this opportunity to promote my collaboration with my friend Nerizu. We are writing together under the penname **ThinErizu**. Do read when you have time ;)


	5. Chapter 4: The Trouble with Violin

Hallo all. I think it's been almost a month since the last time I updated this story, or was it already? Anyway, I apologize for the delay. Like I already said, the writing of this story required a lot of effort. But don't worry. Of course I intend to finish it even if in a slower pace!

So, I don't want to take more of your time. You might get shocked at the development, but happy reading nonetheless! =)

Betareading was done by **Nerizu** as usual ^^

**Disclaimer:** I don't own La Corda d'Oro.

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Trouble with Violin**

Hino raised her left arm to position the violin, but couldn't do it properly since her shoulder ached. She tried to do it more slowly while containing a grimace of pain. And after a couple of attempts, she finally succeeded, although her arm looked stiff and her forehead was sweaty.

But as she raised the right arm to start playing, she winced in pain. And it was almost unbearable. The pain Shimizu had caused her this time was greater than before. She finally gave up, dropping her arms to her sides while still holding her violin and bow. She looked to the floor. Her eyes were slowly getting wet.

* * *

Hino fell to the floor with a scream as the violin case hit her left shoulder. She opened her eyes as she tried to sit, but what she saw scared her.

Shimizu stood there with that dark face that was slowly becoming oddly familiar. He slowly raised the violin case above his head again. His face showed no mercy. Only rage.

As Shimizu swung the violin case again, Hino crouched on the floor while covering her head with her arms. And the hard material stroke her shoulder and back again, while she cried in pain.

_Once, twice, thrice_...

And then absolute silence.

Hino started to sob as she felt her body crushed. The pain from her shoulders and back pierced right through her heart and consciousness.

"Oh my God...," she vaguely heard a male whispering, followed by the loud thud of a hard material on the floor.

"Oh my God...," Shimizu whispered again nervously.

Hino didn't move from her crouching position. She was still sobbing with her arms covering her head while her body trembled, afraid that Shimizu would hit her again.

* * *

They spent the rest of the evening and night in silence. Hino refused to talk to Shimizu, not even wanting to touch him and avoiding any kind of contact. She was scared and sad. And was afraid that if she said a word, he would turn violent again. And she'd had enough violence for twenty-four hours.

Shimizu, on the other hand, didn't try to reconcile either. He didn't dare to come closer to her, seeming afraid to hurt her again too. He only dared to watch her from afar, and then decided to lock himself in the study for the rest of the evening.

As Hino went to bed that night, she was very alert and couldn't sleep until far after midnight, expecting what would happen when Shimizu entered the room. But as she waited, there were no signs of him coming out from the study.

It was finally almost three o'clock in the morning when Hino finally could go into slumber. Tired, sleepy and hurt.

* * *

Hino woke up to the smell of coffee. As she opened her eyes, she saw Shimizu standing by the bed-footer, with a tray of breakfast in hands. He was very wide awake, fresh showered with messy damp hair, still wearing his bathrobe, and smiling.

"Good morning, Kaho," he greeted in his usual calm voice.

Hino smiled back in response, but a second later a wave of realization hit her, and she jolted, quickly sitting on the bed and moving backwards until her back collided with the header of her bed. Her face showed a mixture between fear and worry, not knowing what she should expect. And her shoulders were tense from the pain.

"Kaho, it's just me," Shimizu said in a concerned tone.

_If it's just you now, then who was the one who hit me last night?_ Hino wondered in fear, but couldn't say it out loud.

"Kaho...," Shimizu started. His voice low and cautious. "Listen. I'm really sorry about last night. Allow me to make it up to you?"

Hino still stared at him with fear and worry in her eyes. But after a while of gazing each other in silence, seeing Shimizu standing there with sincere look melted her heart. That look still had the great effect on her, after all. In the end, she gave in and relaxed her rigid muscles.

Shimizu smiled gladly at her change, then walked slowly to the bedside. Hino adjusted her sitting position as he sat beside her and set the tray on her lap.

Hino looked at the tray and chuckled. Shimizu, the one who rarely stepped into the kitchen to prepare meals, had put an effort in arranging a decent breakfast for her. It consisted of a bowl of cereal, sliced apples, a mug of coffee and a glass of water. She was touched by his sweet gesture. Talking about her boyfriend not being a hopeless romantic.

Hino started eating in silence with slow movements as she was unable to raise her arms, but felt butterflies in her stomach because she knew Shimizu was watching her eat attentively with a small smile. Then she grabbed the mug and drank her coffee while trying to hide her face behind it. But failed, as usual. She was starting to blush, while Shimizu kept on watching without a word.

"Keiichi, stop it!" Hino finally said desperately as she set the mug back on the tray.

"Stop what?" Shimizu asked with an innocent blink while tilting his head to a side, oblivious of his effect on her.

"Stop watching me already! You know I'm a sucker at it," she said with a pout.

Shimizu let out a fresh laughter, filling the room with a light and bright atmosphere, making Hino's heart swell and all preoccupations gone, and finally laughed with him.

Shimizu moved to sit closer to her then reached out a hand to comb her hair gently.

"I'm really sorry, Kaho. Yesterday... I don't know what went into me. I must have hurt you really bad," he apologized. His eyes guilty and sincere.

Hino bowed her head, looking at her hands playing with the edge of the napkin on her lap. Her face turned gloomy. She didn't know how to answer his apology.

"I could understand if you can't forgive me," he continued sadly.

"I forgive you," Hino murmured, looking back at Shimizu. She was quite surprised herself. She didn't actually want to forgive that easily. But the words came out of her mouth before she could think.

"Really? You do?" he asked. He looked and sounded extremely happy, like a child who was being promised a new toy. His voice was light, and his face glowed with joy.

Hino beamed at the sight, and nodded slowly. Somewhere inside, Shimizu had a childish side that didn't alter with age. She had always thought that Shimizu would always be childlike and angelic-looking, even when he was old and already had grandchildren.

Shimizu leaned his face closer to hers and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Hino turned her head to meet Shimizu's gaze. He was smiling happily and was still playing with strands of her hair. He then lowered his gaze to her lips, before finally kissing them.

"Mmm... coffee and milk. You taste delicious," he giggled.

Hino grinned sheepishly. "You haven't had breakfast, have you?" she asked.

Shimizu shook his head and gave her a suggestive look. Then he took the tray from Hino's lap to put it on the side table.

Hino was startled. "Wha-"

Before she could finish, Shimizu's lips were already on hers again. With a hand, he casted the blanket which was covering her legs aside, while the other hand grabbed the back of her head and pulled her closer for a deeper kiss. Meanwhile, Hino raised her hands automatically to play with his robe. He smelled and tasted fresh. Temptingly and perfectly edible.

"You're yummy enough to be my breakfast," Shimizu whispered breathlessly as they broke the kiss in need of air.

He put a hand on her legs, slipping it underneath her nightgown, caressing them unhurriedly. Hino felt her body heating up under his touch, and she knew where this was leading to. So she decided to follow the game.

"Enjoy your breakfast, then," she purred with a seductive smile, putting her fingers on the opening of his robe and slowly sliding down.

Shimizu gazed downward to her fingers, and saw her untying the belt of his robe, leaving it open to reveal his pale chest and stomach.

Shimizu moved forward, aiming to kiss her ear and the side of her neck, with a hand still caressing her legs and the other slowly moving on her arm and shoulder. Then he slid the strap of her nightgown down, kissing the area where the strap once was, and further down to her chest.

Hino moaned in pleasure as Shimizu kissed the sensitive areas of her body, while her hands were busy caressing his smooth body underneath the robe despite her pain.

Shimizu stopped his kisses, only to pull her nightgown from her head and throw it aside, then proceeded to throw his own robe on the floor. Then he pulled Hino into a semi-laying position with pillow underneath while he knelt on the bed, leaning above her.

"I want my breakfast," he murmured eagerly.

"Keiichi...," she whispered, her eyelids half-closed.

Shimizu smiled playfully, then leaned down to grab her for another passionate kiss. Hino kissed him back, opened her mouth to let his tongue slide inside, letting out soft moans, while their hands dutifully touched here and there to increase their pleasure.

And Hino's moans became louder as Shimizu's hand traveled to the sensitive area between her thighs.

* * *

The loud thump of the door being closed startled Hino, making her almost jump in surprise. She cleared her throat and tried to act normal, taking deep breaths to clear her mind, knowing that she wasn't alone in the room anymore. Recalling scenes of lovemaking while at work was unacceptable and highly unprofessional. Hino wanted to slap herself for having those naughty thoughts.

Tsukimori entered the practice room holding his violin case in a hand and music sheets in the other, looking cold as usual. He walked past her in fast steps, set his violin case on the table, and without saying anything handed Hino some sheets they would be practicing on.

Hino raised her hand to receive the sheets, but stopped in midair and winced in pain, remembering the state of her shoulders. She had no other choice then quickly stepping closer to Tsukimori to take the sheets from him, hoping he hadn't noticed the change in her expression.

In fact, Tsukimori was too busy adjusting his bow and wasn't even looking at her. And as Hino took the sheets from him, he proceeded to check his violin with both hands, not minding anyone or anything.

After setting the sheets on the music stand, Hino attempted to place her violin between her shoulder and chin again, now in slower movements, but repeatedly failed. She was starting to lose hope and wanted to cry.

"What's wrong with your arms?" Tsukimori suddenly asked.

"Huh?"

Tsukimori walked towards her, then moved his hands to put her arms in the right position. But the sudden movement hurt her so much that she unconsciously let out a scream of pain, leaving Tsukimori taken aback and let her arms go.

Tsukimori stood perplexed. Eyes wide and mouth agape, not knowing what was going on. And Hino felt she had to quickly think of a lie to cover for her state and surprising reaction.

"I'm sorry, Tsukimori-kun. I... fell down on my back today morning as I was hurrying, and haven't been able to raise my arms properly since then," she lied, still grimacing.

Tsukimori sighed, then put a hand on his head in disbelief.

"What am I going to do with you, Hino?" he asked, annoyed.

"I'm... really sorry...," she said in a low voice, almost crying.

"Alright, alright. You can rest for today. Go home, put something on the lesion, and be fit by tomorrow. No more time-wasting. The event is nearing," he said in a commanding tone.

"Are you really alright with this?" she asked guiltily.

"Please, Hino. Go already, before I change my mind," he glared at her, practically chasing her away.

Hino nodded, then quickly arranged her violin and bow in the case, and left, half-running.

Once outside the conservatory, she slowed down. She bit her lower lip as she recalled all the violence that had been happening in the last days. She was now scared to go home, not knowing what might be waiting for her.

She walked even slower as she neared her apartment building. And as she reached the door, she stopped, unsure if she should enter. Sure, Shimizu had left to work that morning. But the day before, he was already home as she returned.

She checked her watch. One o'clock. It was actually still very early for Shimizu to be home.

Hino shook her head furiously, trying to let go of all worries. There was no reason for more violence. That day they had parted with loving smiles after all. And before leaving, Shimizu even kissed her passionately just before going out of the door, and murmured something about not having had enough breakfast that morning.

Hino clutched the keys in her hand and took a deep breath. _Everything will be okay_, she convinced herself.

She slowly introduced the key, unlocked the door and opened it slowly. She then silently entered, but what welcomed her inside left her frozen in shock and furrowed her brows. Her heart started to beat faster and fear slowly built inside.

_I didn't leave my house in this condition today..._, she wondered in panic.

* * *

**_(to be continued)_**

* * *

**A/N:** So, how was it? Surprising? Shocking? Thrilling? Anyway, just write all your thought down in a review, alright! I'll be happily awaiting =)


	6. Chapter 5: Her Birthday

Hi all! As I promised earlier this week, here I am today with yet another chapter of Violation. I'm really-really sorry for the delay. I kinda got a writer's block and couldn't think of any further plot, so I busied myself with other fics meanwhile. Anyway, now the the idea is back, here it is. Enjoy! =)

Beta-read by **Nerizu** who never gets tired of my stories. Thx girl! ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own La Corda d'Oro and don't think I'll ever will. I only own the plot, and hopefully something like that bracelet too, tee-hee ^^

**

* * *

Chapter 5: Her Birthday**

Hino carefully closed the door behind her, not wanting to cause any sound. Then she slowly took her shoes off and tiptoed on the wooden floor with a hand leaning on the wall and the other clutching tightly on her violin case's grip.

There was only one word to describe the apartment's condition: Dark. All the curtains and windows had been tightly shut.

Hino wasn't someone very fond of leaving the house in the dark. She liked the sun rays to shine through the rooms for as long as possible. They lived in the fifth floor anyway, so leaving the curtains open while nobody was home wasn't actually a big problem. And she certainly left home today with the curtains open as well.

She wondered what she should do if there was an uninvited guest inside, looming in the dark. She stopped her steps not far from the entrance and considered leaving again immediately and wait until Shimizu came home in the afternoon.

She turned her body towards the door and was about to leave, when the corner of her eye suddenly caught a glimpse of light coming from the living room. She jerked and slowly turned her head in the direction of the light. Her heart started thumping furiously of fear, worry, anticipation and curiosity altogether. Her hands and feet grew cold and sweat was slowly forming on her forehead.

She gulped. She wasn't alone after all.

Voices inside her head started to debate whether she should leave once and for all, or take a peek to see who that could be. She was scared, yes, but curiosity was also growing inside.

_If it's a burglar or so__,__ I can immediately run away_, she considered.

With her free hand, she grabbed her mobile phone from her pocket and looked for the emergency number. If anything went wrong, she only needed to dial the number.

She carefully tiptoed towards the door-less living room, with her back closely adhered to the wall. Upon reaching the living room, she swallowed hard and prayed, then slowly took a peek.

Among anything and anyone she had expected to encounter, _that _would have definitely been the last thing to cross her mind. Her eyes went wide and her jaw practically dropped to the floor.

On the table, in the middle of the room, laid the source of light. Candles on a cake. There were only two of them, forming the numbers two and four. And a wave of realization hit her.

_Today is my birthday!_

Of course. How could she have forgotten? Until a few days ago, she was eagerly waiting for this day to come. And now, because of the happenings in the last few days, she had totally forgotten about it.

Out of amazement and surprise, she unconsciously walked inside the living room. Her gaze was locked to the cake, and she stopped only when she was already standing right in front of the table. She was still totally awestruck.

Suddenly she felt two arms encircling her shoulders from behind. She jolted and almost screamed in surprise and panic, but a soft voice sounded right beside her ear.

"Happy birthday, Kaho," said the voice.

"Ah... K-Keiichi...," Hino stuttered as she recognized the voice, not quite recovering from her shock yet. Her hands still hung idly on her sides. One carrying her handbag and violin case, and the other clutching on her mobile phone.

Shimizu chuckled, then let her go and walked to the other side of the table across Hino. He sat on the carpet, then motioned her to sit as well.

Hino obliged. She put her mobile phone in her pocket again, then sat on the carpet and set her belongings beside her.

"Make a wish, and blow the candles, Kaho," Shimizu said softly while leaning his arms on the table.

Hino smiled. She closed her eyes and started to think what she could wish for. The brainstorming took a while, since she had already forgotten what she wanted to wish for. She considered every possibility, until her mind came across the events concerning her boyfriend in the last days, making her shudder.

She opened her eyes and turned her gaze towards Shimizu. He was attentively looking at her with an innocent small smile plastered on his face.

_This is ridiculous_, she thought. _But I wish you don't turn abusive anymore..._

She then turned her attention towards the glowing candles on her cake. Those numbers were slowly melting and deforming. Before they deformed any further, she blew them in a go, leaving the room completely dark again.

Hino heard clapping hands from across her, then some movements and the sounds of curtains being opened. And then the glow of the early afternoon sunlight entered the room, blinding her, that she had to close her eyes again.

When she opened them again and had accustomed her vision, she saw Shimizu already standing beside her with a smile. Meanwhile, surrounding her, there were people she didn't expect yet to see: Her high-school concourse friends in complete formation, including Tsukimori.

They didn't say anything, everyone was only grinning from ear to ear, satisfied and smug to have succeeded to surprise her.

Hino was totally awestruck that she didn't know how to react nor what to say. She unconsciously covered her gaping mouth with a trembling hand, her widening eyes were glossy.

It was Hihara who first broke the ice.

"Well, Kaho-chan. Did we scare you?" he asked with a wide grin.

"How... how did you all come in?" Hino managed to ask.

"We all had to hide in that small balcony of yours, all sandwiched together," Yunoki answered with a chuckle.

"But... Tsukimori-kun was still in the conservatory when I left..." Hino muttered.

"I got out right after you left," Tsukimori said nonchalantly with a shrug. "I had to be here before you."

"But it wasn't planned that I'd leave earlier...," she stated doubtfully.

"Well, everything was planned to be held later, actually," Tsuchiura explained. "That's why we rushed here. We even had to fetch Fuyuumi-chan and the cake to make it on time."

Hino turned her head to Fuyuumi when she realized that the turquoise-haired girl also had to hide with the guys in the balcony. The sudden thought of Fuyuumi being sandwiched between the men who were larger than her tickled her mind that she suddenly burst into laughter that brought tears to her eyes.

"Kaho?" called Shimizu, concerned.

Hino waved her hand as she tried to contain herself from further laughter.

"Sorry guys. I'd have liked to see Fuyuumi-chan pressed between you all out there," Hino managed to say between laughter.

Fuyuumi blushed and smiled sheepishly.

"Actually, I wasn't," she started softly. "I stood at the furthest corner and Tsuchiura-senpai shielded me from being squeezed in between."

"That's gentleman of you, Tsuchiura-kun," Hino remarked with a grin, gaining a smug chuckle as response from him.

"You should have seen Tsukimori's face when he was crushed to the glass door though," Hihara commented laughing, looking very satisfied. It must have looked very funny indeed, as Hino tried to picture the scene in her mind.

Tsukimori shot Hihara a deathly glare.

"_Tsk_, all because Tsuchiura did the unnecessary," he muttered under his breath.

"Well pardon me, Mister, for doing the unnecessary," Tsuchiura retorted.

"Guys, guys... We aren't summoned here to fight," Yunoki intercepted.

_Some people never change_, Hino mused. But she was touched by their acts, reminding her about high-school days and to stay youthful at heart.

She chuckled with teary eyes, then got up and launched herself towards them into a big group hug.

"Thank you, all. You're the best!"

* * *

"You seem to like it a lot," Shimizu muttered softly behind Hino, who was constantly looking at the charm bracelet she had just been given by her unannounced guests.

The silver bracelet was a team-work between all of them together, each contributing with a musical-instrument-formed charm. So there were a total of six charms; a piano, a violin, a flute, a trumpet, a clarinet, and a cello. The latter one was a bit different from the rest. It had a small heart-shaped yellow-ish gem dangling along.

"I love it, Keiichi. You guys must have put a lot of effort in putting all these charms together," Hino chuckled. She then rested her back on Shimizu's wet chest again.

They were taking a warm bath together that evening after the small party her friends had thrown her. The whole bathroom had turned misty and warm, resulting Hino to feel sweaty despite the water she was in.

Shimizu suddenly touched her shoulders and back, then started rubbing them gently.

"Does it still hurt?" he asked while motioning the bruised spots with his index finger, then replaced his finger with his lips, kissing the spots softly, causing Hino to shiver.

"Uh... well, yeah, a bit, when I have to raise my arms..." she stuttered a bit, and realized that her cheeks had gone warm.

"I'm sorry..." Shimizu said barely above a whisper between his kisses on her back and shoulder.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered again. "I'll put something on it before we go to bed," he added, as his lips reached the back of her neck.

"Thank you, Keiichi," Hino replied with a smile.

Hino turned her head, and at that moment, Shimizu put his arms around her shoulders and started kissing the side of her face softly. Her jawline, her cheek, her ear, back and forth. Hino moved her head along as she enjoyed the delightful touch of his lips. And she finally turned her upper body, so Shimizu's lips could reach hers.

As the kiss deepened, Hino turned all her body until she sat sidewards against Shimizu. He wrapped her tighter in his arms while she moved her hand along his thigh. They only released the kiss when they gasped in need of air, and gazed at each other with sparks of desire burning in their eyes.

"How about some dessert?" Shimizu asked in his usual soft tone, yet there was a heavy edge to it.

Hino smiled in agreement. And that small reaction was enough for them to understand the answer. Needs, hunger, thirst, were all clearly written in their faces.

They didn't have to wait long before their mouths and tongues met again in a passionate battle while their hands journeyed through their partner's body until finding their sensitive spots further south, adding to the passion, making the touch of water feel hotter than normal, and they were ready to be driven to heaven on Earth.

* * *

_'Riiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnngggggg'_

Hino hurriedly ran from her bedroom the next morning when she heard the telephone ring from the corridor. Shimizu had just left for work and she was getting ready to go to practice herself.

"_Moshi-moshi_?" she greeted as she picked the receiver up.

"Ah. Kaho-chan?" answered the female voice on the other line.

"Yumi-_nee-san_. Good morning. What a surprise," Hino said with a wide smile when she realized it was Shimizu's older sister, Shimizu Yumi

Yumi laughed. "Yeah. Sorry I forgot to call yesterday. Naoki had a fever and lost his appetite. I had to force him the whole day to eat something. Anyway, happy belated birthday, Kaho-chan," she apologized after a train of explanation.

Hino wanted to laugh at her almost-sister-in-law's ranting about her five-years-old son.

"No need to apologize, _Nee_-san. Thank you. By the way, is the little one doing good today?" Hino asked.

"Yeah. Much better. He's calmed down," she replied.

"That's relieving," Hino commented.

"Yes. By the way, is Keiichi in? I haven't been able to reach him at his mobile," Yumi half-protested.

"No. He just left for work," Hino said.

"Work?" she asked in a disbelieved tone.

Hino frowned, not understanding the surprise in Shimizu's sister's voice. "Yes. Is something the matter?" she asked.

"That's impossible. Our father's company had to close down due to recession around two weeks ago. So dad and Keiichi aren't working now-"

"What?!?" Hino unconsciously shrieked, but was able to compose herself immediately. "I didn't know...," she added in a lower tone.

"Oh...," Yumi seemed lost at words. She surely had thought Hino knew about it already.

Hino's head was suddenly full of questions and possibilities. Why didn't he say anything about it? Where had he been wandering off to then? Did it have any connection with his strange behavior lately?

No matter how many questions popped in her head, Hino seemed unable to find an answer. She could only question and wonder...

* * *

_**(to be continued...)**_

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**A/N: **Pfiuh. Not the kind of progress you thought of, perhaps? Well yes, this chapter had no violence. And I had to crack the story a bit, so Tsukimori fell victim here, hahaha... Anyway, please make me happy by dropping a review? Thx again! ;)


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